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No. 624,340; Patentgd May' 2, I899.

s. c. JONES & .w. MAYO.

TRIPOD STAND.

(Application filed Nov. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SETH C. JONES AND WVILLIAM MAYO, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TOEZRA R. ANDREWS, OF SAME PLACE.

TRIPOD-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 624,340, dated May 2,18 99.

Application filedNovember 29,1898. Serial No. 697,784. (No model.)

T0 at whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SETH O. JONES and WILLIAM MAYO, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Rochester, in the county of Monroe andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTripod-Stands, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to tripod-stands, and has for its object toprovide a. tripod-stand that is light and capable of reduction to smallcompass when not in use, that may. be quickly and easily adjusted foruse, and that has movable parts adapted to be firmly clamped when in theselected positions.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of one of the legsof thetripod-stand embodying out-invention attached to the head of the standand fully extended. Fig. 2 shows in elevation portions of the same legfrom which part of the plate has been removed and one of whose membershas been cut away to show the positions of certain of its parts. Fig. 3is also an elevation of the leg, showing the several members closedtogether and also having a portion of the plate removed and a part ofone of its members cut away to show the position of certain of itsparts; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section on'the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, A, B, C, D, and E represent, respectively, the severalmembers of the tripod-leg. In the form shown each of these members is arectangular rod or bar and is preferably, for most purposes, made ofwood. Each of the members A and B is pivotally secured by a pin fbetween a pair of connecting-plates F. In the plates, at pointsequidistant from the pivots f, slots j are cut, so that the slot in eachplate shall be opposite the slot in the other plate. The pins f arepassed through said slots in said plates F and are fastenedlin saidmembers A and B, respectively, so that the pins f are free to workwithin said slots, and the said members A and B of the leg may each beturned upon its pivot f, and the members may be spread apart or broughttogether to the extent permitted by the length of the slot, as shown inFig. 2. The leg shownin the drawings has three members between the saidouter mem- 1 bers A and B and the said plates F, all of which membersare capable of longitudinal movement with reference to said membersA andB and are guided by the plates and their appurtenances. The innermembers 0 and D are preferably joined together by a plate G, which isfastened to their upper ends, so

that said members move together longitudinally. Between the innermembers 0 D is the longitudinally-slidingmemberE. Said member E isadapted to be drawn out from between the members 0 and D, thus renderingthe leg capable of further extension. Stops, hereinafter to bedescribed, serve to retain the inner members 0 and D between the membersA and B beyond a fixed point, and a stop device retains the member Ebetween the members 0 and D.

Our invention, among other features hereinafter to be referred to,consists of clamping mechanism for holding the inner members O and Dstationary with reference to the outer members A and B when the legshall have been extended to the desired degree.

The form of our device shown in the drawings comprises a strip H, ofbrass, steel, or

'other suitable material, secured to the outer face of one or both ofthe outer members A and B, respectively, as by screws h, and bent 'I arecut in the outer sides, respectively, of

the two members 0 and D, which grooves are of such width and depth as tocontain the projecting parts h of said strips H. The metal strips H,formed and applied as shown, are

employed to strengthen the wooden rods A and B, particularly. where thepins f and f pass through them; but it is obvious that variousmodifications of the strip H may be employed.

When the tripod is not in use, the intermediate members 0 and D of theleg are slid-up within the members A and B until the projecting portions72 0f the strips-H come opposite, respectively, the grooves I in thesaid members 0 and D. The members A and B are now folded in upon theother members, and the portions k of said strips lie within the groovesI, as shown in Fig. 3, thus folding the members closely together. Whenthe leg is slid together and folded, as in Fig. 3, inwardly-projectingpins a and b on the members A and B fit into sockets (see dotted lines,Fig. 3) in the outer sides of the members 0 and D, respectively, andhold the members more firmly together.

Inwardly-turned ears f projecting from the plates F, extend over theinner edges of the members 0 and D and retain those members in theirproper positions with reference to the clamping outer members A and B,but permit the members 0 and D to slide between the plates F, ears f andmembers A and B as guides. For compactness grooves f are cut in theedges of the members 0 and D, wherein the ears f may slide. When the legis to be used, its outer members A and B are spread'apart, as shown inFig. 2, and the inner members are slid down untilthe legs have beenextended as much as is desired. If now the free ends of the outermembers A and B are pressed together, the projections on those members,consist-ing of the projecting portions it of the strip H, are forcedagainst the outer faces of the intermediate members 0 and D, and saidmembers 0 and D are thereby clamped against the ears f and are heldstationary with reference to said members A and B, and we thus providemeans for clamping an intermediate member or members between the outermembers by the action of one or both of the outer members.

It is evident that asingle intermediate member may be employed in placeof the threemembers 0, D, and E, hereinbefore described, and that suchmembers can be clamped and held stationary with reference to the outermembersA and B without the use of the projecting strips [L2 by simplypressing together said members at their upper ends until they areforced, against said intermediate members. It is also evident both whena single intermediate member is employed and when the construction shownin the drawings is used that the inner and outer members may be clamped,so as to prevent relative longitudinal movement, by the use of-aprojection on the inner side of but one of saidouter members.

We have shown a base-plate for the tripodstand, which is made from asheet of suitable metal and has aseries of cars J J turned down from itsedges to form pairs. Through each of these ears is cut a slot j, havingin the middle an enlarged portion, in which the pins or b, v

which project from the outer sides of the members A and B, respectively,near their ends, may lie, the slots permitting the insertion of theflattened heads of said pins when the leg is held in a particularposition with members A and B are brought between the ears J J on thebase-plate or head K and the pins 0, b are set in the sockets j, themembers 0 D will be locked in their extended position.

Our device will operate as well in combination with any other form ofbase-plate which when itis attached to the tripod-legs holds the membersA and B in a sprung or compressed condition. Furthermore, we do notlimit our invention to the form of the device shown for accomplishingthe results above set forth, for

it is obvious that they are capable of various modifications.

A metallic guidingstrip (marked e inthe drawings) is secured in a slotin the upper end of the member E (see Fig. 4) and is adapted to slidewithin grooves of suitable size that are out in the inner sides of themembers 0 and D, whereby the upper end of said member E is retainedbetween the said other members. We have also shown a pin d, which whensaid strip e comes in contact with it prevents said member E from beingfurther withdrawn, and also a plate K, secured to the lower end of oneof the members 0 and D and passing around the other of said members,through which plate the thumb-screw 10 passes and presses the member D,for in stance, against the member E through an interposed block is, bywhich the member E may beheld either when extended or when slid upbetween its adjacent members.

Pins 0 d, projecting from the surface of the members 0 D, act as stopsto the upward movement of said members by coming in contact with theupper plate F.

The ends of the members 0 and D are joined by a plate G, that is'inposition to strike against the ears f on the plate F, and thus toprevent the inner movable part of the leg from being pulled out frombetween the outer members A and B, and the plate K prevents the innerpart from being withdrawn in the other direction.

The projection h onthe strip H is preferably near the pivoted end of themovable member A or B in order that the leverage for producing theclamping efiect may be sufficient.

What we claim is-- 1. In a tripod-stand, 1egs, each consisting of amember adapted to slide longitudinallybe tween two outer members; incombination and the intermediate member are releasablyclamped together.

2. In a tripod-stand, legs, each consisting of an intermediate memberadapted to slide longitudinally between two outer members; thecombination with said two outer members, means for supporting said outermembers upon said intermediate member, both of said outer members beingmovable to and from said intermediate member, whereby the movableouter'members and the intermediate member are releasably clampedtogether.

3. In a tripod-stand, legs, each consisting of two outer memberspivotally secured to a connecting-plate at their lower ends, and anintermediate member adapted to slide longitudinally between said outermembers and said plate, said outer members being adapted to clamp saidintermediate member between them, whereby said intermediate member isheld stationary with reference to said outer members.

4:. In a tripod-stand, legs, each consisting of two outer memberspivotally secured to a conmeeting-plate at their lower ends, and one ofsaid members having a projection from its inner side near its'pivotedend, and an intermediate member sliding longitudinally between saidouter members; and a base plate or head having means for holding thefree ends of said outer members in inwardly-sprung positions, forclamping said intermediate member by said projection, whereby saidintermediate member is held stationarywit-h reference to said outermembers.

5. In a tripod-stand, legs, each consisting of two outer memberspivotally secured to a connecting-plate at their lower ends, and eachmember having a projection from its inner side near its pivoted end, andan intermediate member sliding longitudinally between said outermembers, and a base plate or head having means for holding the free endsof said outer members in inwardly-sprung positions, for clamping saidintermediate member by said projections, whereby said. intermediatemember is held stationary with reference to said outer members.

6. In a tripod-stand, legs, each consisting of two outer memberspivotally secured to acounecting-plate at their lower ends, and one ofsaid members having a projection from its inner side near its pivotedend, and an intermediate member sliding longitudinallyv between saidouter members, and having a recess adapted to receive said projection;and a base plate or head having means for holding the'free ends of saidouter members in inwardly-sprun g positions, for clamping saidintermediate members by said proj ection,whereby said intermediatemember is held stationary with reference to said outer member.

-7. In a tripod-stand, legs, each consisting of two outer memberspivotally secured to a connecting-plate at their lower ends, and each ofsaid members having a projection from its inner side near-its pivotedend, and an intermediate member adapted to receive said projections; anda base plate or head having means for holding the free ends of saidouter members in inwardly-sprung positions, for clamping saidintermediate member by said projections; whereby said intermediatemember is held stationary with reference to said outer members.

8. In a tripod-stand, legs, each consisting of two outer members,pivotally secured to a connecting-plate at their lower ends threeintermediate members sliding between said outer members, the two outerof said intermediate members being connected so as to slide together; anear rigidly secured to said connecting-plate and projecting between thecentral member and one of the adjacent intermediate members; and meansfor clamping said lastmentioned intermediate member by that one of theouter members which is adjacent thereto, whereby the two intermediatemembers which are on either side of the central mem her are heldstationary with reference to said outer members.

- Witnesses:

C. M. PERKINS, F. BISSELL.

